Monday, February 6, 2012

Manners wins Sasky

As Murray McCormick details, an unexpected win in the Sask Tel playdowns as the
unheralded Scott Manners claimed the title. Manners, however, never doubted his
rink could do it.

``Who would have come here and picked us first
out of the 16 teams? Not too many,'' Manners said. ``We're here, we did it and
we worked hard all year on and off the ice. I couldn't be more proud of my team
right now.''

Now Manners will have to carry the weighty Brier banner for Sasky fans who haven't seen a tankard hoisted by Green jackets since 1980.

McCormick also adds the winner of New Brunswick, Grant Odishaw who beat James Gratton in the final. Does it feel like those are the only two curlers in that province?

***

Here’s good story from the Toronto Star of a high school teacher who didn’t know a
thing about curling but still managed to lead his school’s team to a
championship. Seems Junho Song used
curling as an example in his physics class and his students just figured he was
a curler. What happened next was amazing:

“The word had gotten out that Mr. Song
loves curling and … I didn’t, I had no interest in curling whatsoever,” he
says.“But I guess word spread and it eventually
got to Melanie and she asked me ... if I could help out getting a team together.”

***

Colleen Jones just keeps winning and winning and winning.
She’s now earned 27 Nova Scotia titles, the latest coming at the Senior. Now
she has her targets set on a national crown.

"This year we have no excuses (at the nationals)," Jones said with a laugh. "It's all about just trying to play solid, to play the way we can. Last year we didn't go to the nationals with any idea of where we could finish or what we could do, but this year it's different."